The Eternal Storm
by witcheress
Summary: John-117 is court martialed for all the mistakes he made during the war./ It's safe to assume the story is AU./ It's mostly a romance story - John-117/Master Chief x OC./ Also posted at Archive of Our Own./ Enjoy!
1. The Court

**Prologue**

John

„Master Chief Petty Officer John-117, attention!"

I snapped to attention, straightening my back and raising my hand.

The press stared at me like hungry Jackals and the lights of their cameras flashed straight in my face. I squinted my eyes but didn't flinch. Instead I stood proud and tall in front of all of them, including the ones hiding in the darkness.

Seated on the left, Dr. Halsey's steady voice reached my ears.

"Do you know why you're here, John?"

I sensed a certain uneasiness in her, a feeling I didn't usually link with the stern, practical woman. I couldn't tell who was sitting in front of me, I could barely tell them apart. There were five shadowy figures, I knew one of them was Halsey, but that was it. I felt uncertainty creeping up my spine. Without Cortana's aid I couldn't tell what exactly was wrong and that made me uncomfortable in an odd way. Something definitely felt off and I was sure of that, because my senses never steered me wrong before. They may have dulled when I was out of armour, or devoid of Cortana's— the AI's assistance, but were never wrong. People, on the other hand, have tried to deceive me many times in the past.

"No, ma'am. I do not."

"I know you must feel lost..."

"Dr. Halsey", one of the gathered cut her off. "You have not been given permission to explain anything to the defendant."

 _The defendant?_ I can almost hear Cortana's amused snort in my ear.

"Captain, I believe that..."

"If you do not comply, you will be removed from the courtroom."

Silence fell again. The ringing in my ears was almost deafening.

 _Court room_. I swallowed. Something cold grabbed my gut and held them firmly, not letting go. I tried to relax. _Nothing is wrong,_ I kept repeating to myself, _everything is fine. I'll be fine._

"The court has gathered here today to resolve the case of high treason, filed by United Nations Space Command against Master Chief Petty Officer, also known as Sierra-117, also known as John-117."

 _Well, shit, I certainly hadn't expected that_. I let my hand fall down as I stared in disbelief at the man sitting in the shadows. I was usually hard to surprise, but damn, a court case? High treason?

"You must be joking" I said doubtfully. "Sir", I added after a second.

"Master Chief Petty Officer, you have not been given permission to speak or stand at ease!"

I snapped to attention again, clenching my teeth.

"Will he be not given permission to defend himself?" Again, Dr. Halsey spoke on my behalf.

"Dr. Halsey, last warning. This is a martial court and you will be removed if you won't obey", the man said calmly. "Back to the case. Sergeant Davidson, read the charge."

"Yes, sir!" the young man obediently stood at attention, opened a file and cleared his throat, his eyes straying from the documents spread in front of him to me. I glared at him, meeting his look when he opened his mouth and he faltered for a moment before he started reading. Despite his awkwardness, his voice was clear and carried loud across the room. "We hereby accuse Master Chief Petty Officer John-117 of the act of the high treason. He committed such by the following: allowing the rampant AI Cortana escape and continue with her repulsive plan. Disobeying direct orders. Going AWOL while on a mission multiple times. Insubordination, lack of respect and disobedience towards senior staff."

Silence engulfed the room. I almost heard my heart's hammering inside my chest. My hands were cold, my stomach felt ill. How absurd. Considering my hazardous lifestyle it was a surprise I was feeling fear while standing in a relatively safe place.

"Lack of respect is not a crime", argued Halsey quietly.

The judge glanced at Halsey with his eyes knitted together.

"Lack of respect leads to disobedience, Doctor. Disobedience might lead to compromising the entire squad or mission. There were voices about drastic measures, Master Chief", the man said directly to me and I felt the rare urge to laugh. The whole situation seemed too unreal, staged.

"However, we are aware of your great input during the war. The humanity appreciated what you did for us and therefore you will be treated lightly."

"Permission to speak, sir."

Once again, the room fell silent. After a moment that seemed to extend to eternity, the man nodded.

"Granted."

I folded my hands behind my back, ignoring the surprised mutters of the gathered. The judge's brows got even closer together and I saw him opening his mouth to- probably- scold me again. I stared him down, daring him to say something about it. He didn't.

My voice was as loud and clear as Sergeant Davidson's when I spoke, and I wasn't using a microphone.

"All of my actions were justified. I have never done anything to cause harm to civilians or soldiers. Everything I have done was for the greater good. While that may not be in duty list for a regular soldier, I would like to remind you I was created to think and decide, quickly assess the situation and deal with it in the best way possible. With all due respect, sir, sometimes the best way was not seen as such by the person in command."

This must have been the longest statement I ever gave in front of an audience, I noticed humorlessly. When the silence protracted, straining my eyes to see clearer, I finally understood.

They knew that I was right. They had to. The unfairness of the trial hit me like a power sword. They knew that perfectly, and they were not going to admit it. I became unwelcome, started to itch somebody's back in a place they couldn't scratch by themselves, so they called for greater measures and simply _sued_ me for breaking a couple of minor rules and procedures. I was going to be martial courted as a little more than a common criminal and then, if I was lucky, they'd sent me to some forgotten village on some forgotten planet in a system far, far away to remain there for a very long time— at least until the rich and influential found some new object of interest. Or until another war started.

I straightened and forced myself to calm down. This was just another situation I had to deal with. And I always dealt with the situations, no matter how difficult they might have seemed to anyone else.


	2. A cold day

**Chapter One**

Charlie

It was so cold.

My shivering must have woke me up. I shook as if I had epilepsy, my teeth clanked audibly in the tiny room. The fire has gone out hours ago and I cursed myself for falling asleep so early. I should have stoked it short after midnight, there would at least be embers in the empty hearth. Right now there was only ash, maybe still a little warm, but nothing that could heat the room.

I forced myself to untangle from the sheets and blankets, my frozen limbs move with difficulty. I thanked myself for having enough presence of mind to slip some woollen socks on my numb feet before I went to sleep. Shivering, I knelt down at the fireplace and tried to stoke the fire. I managed to do so after a fourth or so try and a small flame danced upon the gathered twigs. I blew at it softly, helping it become more confident and soon gentle light engulfed me with its warmth. I put some thicker branches inside the hearth and straightened up.

I filled the kettle with frigid water from the tap and put it on the stove. Good thing the pipes didn't freeze, I thought to myself, going to the bathroom. Water wouldn't be warm in the shower, but I could at least wash my face and teeth, and when it was cold, it made better work of waking me up. I glanced at myself in the mirror. A tired woman looked back at me, not a girl I remembered from two years ago, but someone else, with a couple of grey hairs, shadows under her eyes and almost constantly furrowed brow. I sighed. Last year wasn't easy and that showed— the death of my mom, the disappearance and presumed death of my fiancé, the fire at my home in New York— let's just say those weren't the best of my years.

The kettle whistled sharply and I went to switch the stove off. Pouring the boiling water into the cup with some crumbled tea leaves in it, I glanced at my tablet. I always checked the government's sites of missing soldiers with my tea in the morning. I needed to keep in track with whatever they did to find Colin, if there was anything at all. His handsome, smiling face looked up at me—I remember the day I took this photo— and a big red MIA flashed under the picture. I sighed. At least it wasn't confirmed KIA, I comforted myself.

Indifferently, I prepared my breakfast. It wasn't much, an omelette and a toast, but again, I didn't need much lately. Just something to keep me going for the rest of the day, week, month and eventually, life.

The tea was hot and it helped me feel better. That's a little ridiculous, but I remembered my mom's words when she first heard of Colin's disappearing. _Oh, dear_ , she said and it sounded as if a breath was knocked out of her. _Oh, honey._ She hugged me close and later brewed tea for me, and now I associated the taste of tea with my mother's warmth and care and it somehow felt as if she still was with me, pouring litres of tea into my throat to make me better. I knew it was silly. I just didn't care anymore. I wished she was with me.

I glanced outside and saw the sky was getting brighter. It was still snowing, and the road would probably be shitty, but I had to be in coffee shop in an hour, so I got up from the table and went to my room to get dressed. The fire was going on nicely and I couldn't stop myself from standing in front of the fireplace for a while, warming my hands.

After securing the fire for the day, I left the tiny house, swiping a card and locking it. Couple months ago, just after I arrived, some local company decided to equip all the houses with digital locks. They forgot, however, most of the building had no central heating system or even warm water, and digital locks weren't a priority. The town's mayor thought it was a good idea, though, and convinced the city counsel to fund the locks for every building. And there we were, without hot water and with constantly freezing pipes, but with a little of modern luxury in our God forsaken town.

I didn't mind. Or care.

I got into my car, started it and waited until it stopped coughing and choking. The engine started eventually, and I was able to drive out of my backyard onto the road covered in fresh snow. Fortunately, the coffee shop was not too far away and I made it just in time. I didn't pass anyone while driving. Everyone had their mind in the right place and they chose to stay at home. I couldn't blame them. I would do so too, but I learned not to shirk from my duty, and my duty was to provide hot coffee if any weary traveller happened upon the coffee shop.

The short walk from my car to the coffee shop door had me covered in snow from head to toes. I dropped my keys when I fumbled with the opening.

"Shit", I muttered and squatted to search for them. The wind was picking up, and it snowed more and more as I finally grabbed the familiar shape of keys with my red fingers. I pushed the door to the café open and struggled to close them behind me.

I exhaled with relief and took my beanie off my head. I shook the snow of my jacket and stomped for a moment to get rid of the snow plastered to my shoes. I was going to have to wash the floor before the clients start to come, though on a day like that there weren't too many people in here. Hell, there were not too many people in Frozen Falls on a sunny day, either. The town was so far north most of the people didn't even know it exists. It's surprising it had enough money to survive through all these years.

I walked to the backroom to put my stuff in there and maybe change into some dry pants. I've been in the snowstorm for a total of five minutes and my jeans were almost completely soaked.

The bell over the door rang and I poked my head out of the staff room to check who just came in along the gust of snowy wind.

"Freckles? I saw you come in!"

"Oh, it's you", I said when I saw Michelle, the only person in town I called a friend. "Give me a sec, I need to change."

"Sure thing, babe."

I heard her stomping her boots, too, and I quickly pulled dry jeans on and slid my feet into my comfortable work shoes. Tying my hair into a messy knot on top of my head I emerged from the back room. Michelle walked to me, wrapped her arms around me and hugged me tightly.

"Hey there", she smiled at me. I couldn't help but return the smile and the hug.

"Hello, Michelle."

She was always so bubbly. When I met her, she struck me as a city girl. She was blonde, slim and pretty, had a great fashion sense and worked out five times a week. She did everything— she taught at preschool, led a dancing practice and a fitness group, was the owner of the coffee shop I worked at and, in her free time, she sold houses here in Frozen Falls. I had no idea where she was taking the energy from to do all these things, but the supply was absolutely unlimited. She truly was a perfect woman. I sometimes envied her, I thought to myself, getting behind the counter. And then most of the times I didn't. I wouldn't manage to be so popular all the time.

"Coffee?"

"Yes, please. Make it a big gingerbread one. And a take out."

I raised my brows in question as I prepared her drink. She usually drunk her first coffee of the day here, at the shop.

"In a hurry?"

She nodded eagerly.

"Actually, yes. I finally had a client, you know." She winked at me. I swear, she was the only person in the world capable of mastering a wink. "They want to buy a house. God, Charlie! I'm so happy I could burst!"

The estate agency led by Michelle wasn't too lucrative business in Frozen Falls. From what I remembered, I was her last client, and I bought a house almost a year ago. I understood her excitement.

"That's great, honey", I offered a beam, and it was a genuine one. "Which one are they buying?"

"The old one at the end of the road. By the forest."

I whistled through my teeth.

"Brave people. Not many would want to live there, I think the electricity was cut off when the river overflew last summer."

"Yeah. I told him so, but the client said it's all right and he'd have the power connected to the house on his own."

"Nice. So, who is it? Some happy family? Newlyweds? Or maybe some adventurers willing to try surviving in the harsh climate of Frozen Falls?"

Michelle took the coffee I offered her, took a sip and closed her eyes for a second.

"That's so good. Thanks, babe." She drank some more. "The client is actually a single guy. He's on his own." She frowned, sipping her coffee. "You may have heard of him, actually. There was some fishy business going on with him, and couple months ago he was publicly martial courted or so."

I stared at her blankly.

"Doesn't ring a bell."

She huffed.

"Oh well. Anyway, he was a big hero once, you know. One of them Spartans, I think? Wasn't listening too closely to the reporter." She winked at me again. "I saw him via video chat. He's kinda hot, you know, in a strange way. Your type, I'd say."

"Oh."

Michelle looked at me, uncertainty in her eyes, and I knew exactly what would her next words be. I felt a chill creeping up my spine and it was not from the weather. My lips tightened and I interrupted her before she said what she wanted to say.

"Three fifty", I muttered. I bit my lower lip, making my face look crooked. Michelle sighed and handed me a five.

"Keep the change, Freckles."

"I will."

I put the change into the tip jar.

Before she left, Michelle turned to me again, a wide grin back on her face. Oh, great. She was gonna invite me to her party again. Wasn't the last time fiasco enough of my torment?

"I'm having a party later tonight. Some friends will come there. There's this great guy, his name is Greg, and he'd really..."

This time I couldn't suppress my smirk when I interrupted her.

"It's the second time in two minutes you try to set me up with someone", I pointed out.

"Oh, come on, Freckles", she whined and run back to the counter, setting her coffee on the top so hard it almost spilled. "It's high time you started dating again. Colin's been gone for almost two years now, babe." She grabbed my hand and squeezed it, hard. "From what you've told me about him, I'm sure he'd want you to go on with your life. Stop grieving, Charlie. You're young. You're beautiful and resourceful. You've mourned long enough."

I was quiet for a long moment, because my throat was tight and I didn't want to tear up when Michelle was near. I disagreed with her completely, because I still refused to think that Colin might not be coming back from wherever he was right now. I didn't want to date again, I was not ready for that big of a step. I was going to have to talk with her, but now was not the time or the place to start a fight. I forced a smile.

"Thanks, Michelle. Go to your client. Shouldn't make him wait, he's the first one since forever."

She squeezed my hand and looked at me hopefully.

"Please come to my party tonight."

"Yeah. Great Guy Greg will be there. I have to go."

She snorted.

"Don't be like that. He's really nice."

"Okay, Michelle. See you later."

She smiled and soon the only thing left was a lingering scent of her expensive perfume.

I sat heavily on a stool behind the counter, feeling empty inside. I really loved Michelle, but she could finally learn I was not going to give up on Colin so easily.

I wiped a hand through my face. It was going to be a long day.


	3. Why is it always a deer

Chapter Two

 **Charlie**

When I first decided to move to Frozen Falls, I was standing at the edge of a proverbial cliff in my life. Disappearing of Colin was only a beginning, and had I know that, I'd have packed my things and ran to the end of the world, leaving everything behind me. Then, after my mother died in a crash, I learned how it felt to be left completely alone. I was lost, confused and aching. I refused to leave my flat for weeks, sitting numbly on the sofa, wrapped in fluffy blankets which belonged to my fiance and watching whatever happened to be on TV. I hated that time. I kept calling to work week after week, asking for a little more time, giving empty promises about getting back to work soon and then ignoring the incoming calls from my boss and colleagues. Then, not a big surprise, an email arrived in which I was politely informed of being fired. I acknowledged that, sent a message saying 'ok' and went back to watching TV.

The fire that started that night had me barely escaped alive. I've fallen asleep on the couch in the living room and that probably saved my life— the firemen told me later that had I been in my bedroom I would have suffocated much faster, because the fire started in a flat next to mine, and I happened to share a bedroom wall with them. I made it out safely, only with a couple of second degree burns on my side and leg, awful cough and sore eyes. Everything I owned was gone, though, and I was basically homeless. I took a motel room and, fighting cockroaches with one hand and typing with the other, I stumbled upon Michelle's advertisement about house for sale in Frozen Falls, a town far in the North. I took the money from the insurance and made the easiest decision in my life— I bought the house.

I _was_ trying to run from my problems. I didn't want to face the adult life without mom and Colin. I wanted to be far, far away and pretend that all this shit happened to some different Charlie, some sad, lonely girl who definitely wasn't me. I later found out it wasn't that easy. The past followed me even to the frozen hellhole at the end of the world in form of my further relatives' phone calls, insurance agent's emails and lawyer's voice messages. I didn't want to have anything to do with that, but, eventually, I womaned up and took care of the business. After filling all the legal forms, answering calls and emails I concluded it was all right to mourn on my own conditions, without constant blabbery of the outside world.

Frozen Falls was perfect for that. People were quiet, minded their own business and generally avoided too much contact with their neighbours. Not much happened in here— I made sure to do my research. They held an annual Festival of Summer, during which they were a little more outgoing and social towards each other, invited some not very popular bands to decorate the event, and after a couple days of relative openness and friendship they returned to their normal lives, leaving the dreaded socializing behind them. I liked the idea of it, and a lot, because I wasn't ready to face people again. Being an anonymous outsider that came to live in a small, closed society? Awesome. Count me in.

Then I met Michelle and things didn't work out as I wanted them to. Not all of them. Michelle was a complete opposite of the grumpy local townsfolk. I sometimes suspected she was dropped off at some couple's doorstep and therefore, as non-origin Frozen Falls inhabitant, she stuck out like a sore thumb. I had yet to decide if it was a good thing or not.

She didn't leave me alone after I decided to move into the house. She asked me if I had any job offers here, in Frozen Falls, and when I shook my head, she said in her usual cheerful way she actually was in need of a barista at her coffee shop. The last one, unfortunately, hated Frozen Falls because it was so far away from any civilization, and she left without saying anything. Even my lack of experience at making coffee was not an obstacle for her and she dismissed my worries about not fitting in, saying nobody cared in here if the coffee was made a little bit longer than it should or served in a clumsy way. Time was among many things Frozen Falls citizens had in excess.

So I thought, what the hell. Most from the money I got from the insurance agency I spent on the house and a plane ticket to Alaska, and judging from the buildings' state, I had to drown the rest of the money in renovations. A job would have certainly helped me pay the bills, and if Michelle didn't actually care who made coffee for her clients, then what was there to wonder about?

I took the job. During the trial period Michelle patiently came to work with me every day at eight and taught me how to make different kinds of coffee, starting from a regular espresso and finishing with some complicated desserts containing mountains of whipped cream and caramel syrup. I got to know her better and learned she's as cheerful as she seems to be. I never saw her angry or tired or at least annoyed. When I asked her that she told me her secret was yoga and green smoothies drunk first thing in the morning. And then she laughed in her pearly laugh, loud and melodic, and I had to laugh, too. Thing is, she is bloody perfect and at the same time, you just can't hate her. She's too good of a person to be hated.

So we became friends, and then, later, best friends, at least from my side. She was damn popular in this town and I was sure none of her other friends understood why she stuck with me. I wondered, too, but not too much. I was glad to be her friend.

Except for the times when she decided play matchmaker and invited me to her parties to force me to meet some new guys. Frozen Falls wasn't a big town, and I knew most of the men she introduced to me— they usually have stopped by the coffee shop at least once, because Michelle's was the only coffee shop in town— so I was familiar with them. I cared for none of them. I wanted Colin back. It didn't matter to Michelle, though. Having her own theory about loss and mourning after previous boyfriends, she flooded me with stories of her own experience when it came to exes. She accepted the fact that Colin was gone and presumably dead, but she treated him like he dumped me or something. At first it unnerved me, but after a while I realized that kind of helped me to get on with my life at least a little. That didn't involve my love life, but at least I stopped sitting in my house all day long, staring into the fire or watching whatever stupid things were available on TV.

It unfortunately involved my rare attendances to parties thrown by Michelle. She had a group of close friends and loved having them over. Three of them lived in Frozen Falls, too, so I was a little familiar with them. Jake, the oldest, owned a hardware store in the town centre. He was a real sweetheart, always there if someone needed help and didn't ever want anything in return. I got along with him the most after Michelle. He fixed my shower right after I moved in, so I could wash myself in lukewarm water instead of ice cubes. Taylor, his wife, run a veterinary clinic and from what Michelle said, absolutely loved that. I didn't know if she liked me— though Michelle said Taylor liked literally everyone— because she was very distant and didn't talk much. She loved animals more than people, that's for sure. There was also Great Guy Greg, Jake's employee, who was a nice person, and that's it. I really couldn't say anything about him, he was completely neutral and I sometimes forgot he existed. For some reason Michelle thought he'd make a great boyfriend.

The ringing phone interrupted the silence of my room. I glanced at the screen and groaned inwardly. Michelle was making sure I was getting ready to go. I picked it up, because if I wouldn't, she'd probably drive straight to my home to check on me.

"Yeah?"

"Freckles! What are you going to wear?"

I cringed, looking at myself in the mirror. I still didn't change from when I came back from work, so probably I was going in jeans and sweater.

"Nothing special. Why?"

Michelle snorted.

"Typical you. Wear the red dress."

"I don't like it."

"You don't like anything except your jeans and sweatshirts. Come on, Freckles. Just once. Please? At least pretend you're trying."

I sighed.

"All right. I'll wear a dress. But not the red one."

"Works for me. You don't have to bring any food with yourself, I got that covered. Elsa baked a whole ton of muffins, you'll love them."

"Okay."

"See you in an hour!"

She disconnected before letting me answer. I sighed again.

"Yeah. See you."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I arrived a little late. The snow kept falling during the afternoon, so I had to be extra careful while driving. I wore one of my older, ethnic style dresses, soft and colorful and made of some bio-eco-friendly-cotton harvested at an equally bio-eco-friendly-farm in the South. The dress reminded me of happier days, when I had Colin by my side and we took long walks at seaside promenade we lived right next to.

I shook my head. Tonight I was not in a sunny, lively city by the sea with a handsome soldier holding my hand. I was in a Northern town of Frozen Falls and it was too cold for walks and I didn't even want anyone to hold my hand right now.

"Great start, Charlie", I said to myself and got out of the car. The cold wind hit me immediately and my skirt swirled wildly around my ankles. Pulling the hood of my jacket down, I locked the car and sprinted towards Michelle's door.

I rang the bell and the door almost immediately opened. Jake smiled at me and invited me in.

"Fashionably late, I see?"

"Gotta make good impression", I answered and stomped the snow off my boots.

Michelle's house was huge. I've been there a couple of times and the size of it always got me. Somehow she managed to make it look cozy and inviting as well— there's bean bags everywhere to sit, soft carpets and multiple decorations, most of them handmade and brought by her from her trips to other countries and planets. It was a total cocktail, nothing seemed to fit well with anything, but at the same time it perfectly mirrored Michelle's personality. I sometimes forget how much I liked visiting her house and sitting with her by the fireplace, holding mugs of hot chocolate in our hands, talking about nothing and everything for hours.

Tonight was not one of that nights, though. The sanctuary was filled with at least fifteen people. The music was loud, but it was some top hits from twentieth century or something like that and it was nice to listen to. Mountains of food towered over meticulously arranged bottles of various drinks. I looked around and I noticed Michelle laughing along with some girls I've never seen before. She glanced at me when I entered the room and excused herself to come right to me. She embraced me in a big warm hug.

"You came!"

I reciprocated the hug.

"Well, you basically terrorized me into coming, Michelle."

"I did not do that. Come, meet my friends from college. Can you imagine they came all the way from New York? God, last time I saw them I was a baby."

"You're not that old," I muttered, letting her pull me all the way to her old friends.

"Guys, that's Charlie", she announced, "she lives a couple houses down the road. She's a great barista, so I just had to employ her in my coffee shop."

"Hey", one of the girls said, smiling widely. "I'm Sharon." She extended her hand and I shook it, her grip warm and sure. "You new in Frozen Falls?"

I nodded.

"Kinda. I moved in about a year ago."

She gasped.

"How can anyone want to move into _that_ place?"

Michelle snorted.

"Come on, Sharon. It's lovely, don't you dare say anything bad about our little frozen town."

"Lovely's about the last word I'd use, girl."

They continued their friendly banter and, probably sensing I'm not too talkative, they simply made sure there was no awkward silence, politely asking me some non-committal questions. I could work with that, I concluded, as someone got me a drink and offered a salty muffin. It was nice, sitting in a warm room full of people, not having to talk, but at the same time enjoying the time spent with other human beings. I expressed my regard to Taylor for her cupcakes and we actually talked for a while. She was not as bad as I thought her to be, and we had more in common than I'd ever say. We both majored in literature, for one, and decided to pursue completely different careers, so later both of us chose some other major. Hers was veterinary science, so she went and married her high school sweetheart and moved in with him to Frozen Falls. I talked a little with Jake, asked him about his business and how was it going in the winter. He laughed and told me he made even more money, because people made repairs all the time and needed his skills more than during the summer. I didn't even notice when the couple of hours passed and I actually enjoyed myself.

But of course that couldn't go on for the entire evening. Great Guy Greg decided it was high time he made his move and swerved toward me, elegantly passing through the crowd. He made his way and stood in front of me, grinning nervously.

"Hi, Charlie", he said. I forced a tight smile.

"Hi, Greg", I replied curtly. Putting my glass to my mouth, I gave him a quick look over. He doesn't look half bad, I finally decided. He was taller than me, not much, but enough. He was well built, but sported a little beer tummy, which was visible from under his sweater. His eyes were of a soft, brown colour, his cheeks smoothly shaved and his smile was easy, even though right now it was a little nervous. In other circumstances I might have thought that was cute.

"So", he started and hesitated. "Michelle finally forced you to come to a party, huh?"

Smooth, I thought to myself.

"Yeah. She did." I swirled my drink in my glass. "She doesn't usually take no for an answer."

He snorted.

"That's true. She's pretty persuasive."

I gave him a small smile.

"So, Greg", I convinced myself to at least try at normal talking with Greg, "you work for Jake?"

"Yeah, uh, I do." He scratched his head. "I'm actually thinking about moving to some bigger city, though."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Frozen Falls is cool, but I don't think I can make my life in here."

"Why not?"

He shrugged.

"I've been here forever. I know almost everyone in town and everyone knows me, we're like a really huge family. It's kinda tiring."

I nodded.

"I get you. Always the same faces in a town like this."

He chuckled.

"What I meant is that chances at finding a partner in Frozen Falls are real low", he said in a conspiratorial tone. Oh. That. I felt my cheeks flushing, and I gripped my glass harder, my knuckles whitened.

"Unless someone new comes to town, also a rare possibility, I simply have to move out", he kept talking, unaware of my growing discomfort.

"Right", I muttered.

"You came here, though", he stated and looked down at me, a crooked grin on his lips. "You're not a small town girl, Charlie, am I right?"

"Uh", I responded, searching for Michelle with my eyes, "you're wrong, Greg. I'm a small town girl to the core. "

He frowned, and I noticed Michelle talking with someone on the far side of the room. Shit.

"Listen, Greg", I said in a falsely cheerful way before he opened his mouth. "I'm not feeling too good. I'm gonna head home. Can you tell Michelle bye from me?"

"Oh", he answered, frown not disappearing from his face. "I can drive you home if you're not okay."

"I'm fine, I have my car", I raised my hand and patted him on the arm. "Just tell Michelle I had to go, okay?"

Before he could answer, I turned around and nearly run to the door. I grabbed my jacket and scarf on the way and put them on before leaving. It was still snowing when I got out, and the wind seemed to have picked up since I came to Michelle's, but it was not bothering me now.

I got in the car, started it and waited for the engine to heat up with my eyes closed and my head leaned on the headrest. I startled when someone knocked forcefully on my window. I lowered my window and saw Michelle, her face contorted with worry.

"You okay?" she called to outcry the wind. I nodded my head.

"Just tired", I shouted back. "Go home, or you'll catch a cold!"

"Text me when you're home!"

"Sure thing!"

I closed the window and she trotted back home. With a last glance back I drove out to the street.

The road home seemed even longer now than it did when I went the other way. I drove painfully slow, as the snowstorm grew in strength and I couldn't see what was happening on the street a couple metres in front of me. I squinted my eyes, trying to tell the road apart from the wayside, but I couldn't. Everything was covered in a soft, white blanket, everything looked the same. Snowflakes clustered into bigger flakes and the howling wind swirled them around in their unrelenting dance.

My home must be freezing cold right now, I realized. I forgot to stoke the fire before I left.

"Damn it", I muttered, slightly accelerating. I suspected nobody was on the road at that hour, plus the weather was really bad, so everyone was at their homes, warming themselves up with hot chocolate or tea, bundled in covers and fluffy blankets. God, I wanted to do that, too, and I kept speeding up. I knew it was a bad idea in that weather, but I just wanted to get home, start the fire and-

"Oh, hell!"

A deer— _why is it always a deer_ — jumped out of nowhere and went directly under my car. I reflexively turned the steering wheel and pushed the brakes, and the car skid on the icy road. I heard the thud before I could feel the impact of the hit- and then everything went dark.


	4. A deal with the devil

**Charlie**

Last weeks were just a blur.

I remembered beeping sounds, a lot of them.

I remembered harsh voices arguing over my head.

I remembered wanting to speak up, but there was something plastic in my mouth, pushed down my throat and I just couldn't make a sound.

I remembered darkness engulfing me like a soft blanket, and I remembered being grateful for finally getting to see my mom. And, was that Colin? But that couldn't be true. He was far, far away, not in Frozen Falls, and I had to go and find him because...

Then I opened my eyes, and there was light.

I shut them close again. It felt as if someone stabbed me in both of them at once. I felt a warm dribble of tears running down from the corners of my eyes, and I shifted.

"Oh my god, Charlie!"

It was Michelle, I was sure of that. I never heard her so terrified and relieved at the same time, and I wondered, what happened. Where was I? What was she doing there with me?

I… The accident? I tried to swallow. My throat was parched, and I coughed. I wanted to say something, ask for water, but words wouldn't come to me. The taste in my mouth was foul, reminding me of some medicines I took when I was younger. My breathing quickened, my fingers clenched on the sheet, I could almost hear my heart speeding up.

I heard a rustling of clothing to my left and turned my head to that direction. Then something cold and hard was pressed to my mouth, while a slender hand sneaked its way behind my head. Glass of water. I wanted to cry with gratefulness, but instead, with the help, I bent my neck a little and finally got to drink some water. It spilled down my chin, gloriously cold and fresh, and I whimpered at the loss. But the cup was back there, filled with another portion of the blessed liquid, and I just kept drinking and drinking, until I could take no more. I moved my head away, and the cup was taken from me. The hand moved away from behind my head and dried my chin with a handkerchief.

I opened my eyes again, this time being more careful, and blinked a couple of times. I felt as if I was looking at the world through a hazy glass. I blinked again and Michelle's face, contorted with worry, nearly materialized in front of me.

"Hey," I croaked, forcing my lips into a lopsided grin. "Where… where am I?"

"Hey, yourself," she answered, grabbing my hand and squeezing it almost painfully hard. "God, Charlie, I was so worried. It's some military facility, but I don't know much about it. They took good care of you in here, but damn, Charlie, I didn't even know you were in the military. Why didn't you tell me before?"

Shit. I didn't want to talk about that with Michelle right now. I turned my head away, feeling the flush creeping up my face. I didn't know why I was feeling embarrassed. Being a soldier wasn't a reason to be ashamed, these days especially when every last trooper was proclaimed a bloody hero. I just felt stupid for not telling her earlier. It used to mean a great deal for me, I loved being a soldier, I rather didn't return to that because it was the part of my life that involved lots of things I wasn't ready to talk about. Colin. My team. My friends, which I left behind without a word of explanation. I didn't like to reminisce about these better days. It wasn't as if it was ever coming back, though. Some things were better left buried in the past.

"Freckles?"

I looked at her and realized she's been talking all the time I dozed off thinking about my past. Again, blush covered my cheeks. She sighed and pushed her hand over her hair, and I just noticed how bad she looked. There were dark circles under her eyes, which hid her usual spark. I felt guilty about it because it was my fault.

"You're not even listening, are you?" she sighed again. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't bother you with all that stuff. I was just… I just was so worried, you know?"

"I know. I'm sorry."

"I brought you chocolate. I don't know if you can eat that yet, but I thought it would be nice to have the option."

"Thanks, Michelle."

She bent down and hugged me awkwardly, carefully trying not to rip any of the multiple tubes I had installed in my body. Gathering my strength, I wrapped my arm around her slim back, smelling her perfume, so strange and exotic in this place filled with the smell of decontaminators, cheap air freshener, and a flowery floor wash.

"I'll come tomorrow," she promised, squeezing my hand again. "You rest, okay?"

I grunted my approval. She gave me a soft smile, tucked her purse under her arm, and in a moment she was gone, the only sign she's ever been here the distant clicking of her heels and a bar of caramel chocolate on my nightstand.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

The only source of light was a yellowish streak coming from a street lamp just behind my window. I laid on my back and stared at the dark ceiling, my racing thoughts stopping me from falling asleep. Hell, I already slept too much, I decided, shifting uncomfortably on the thin mattress. One would think the army would take better care of their own, I thought bitterly. One good thing was I got my own room without any snoring companions. Yeah. Great thing.

Straining my tired muscles to do so, I reached to my nightstand and grabbed my phone. Three o'clock. I wished I could have left the room, just go to my cozy home and sit there under a mountain of blankets. How could I not notice that damn deer jump in front of my car? It's not like it was invisible or something. I sighed and groaned right after that, feeling the soreness in my back as I tried to get more comfortable on the tiny bed. I was going to feel these bruises for a couple of next weeks.

"Sergeant Walker? May I come in?"

I stiffened at the sound of a stranger's voice. It was a woman, but none of the nurses I already got to know. Maybe a new one? Three in the morning was a strange time to start one's shift though. She knocked on the ajar door and seemed to be waiting for my invitation.

I cleared my throat and answered.

"If you have to."

She walked in, her stride confident and sure. I couldn't make out her face, and I squinted my eyes, trying to tell her apart from the rest of the dark room. She walked to the only armchair in the room and sat down with a sigh. I heard her putting a paper cup of coffee on the window sill.

"A little dark in here," she noticed wryly.

"You can switch the lamp on," I pointed to the interface on the wall to her left. She huffed to herself, stood up and pressed a couple of buttons. Soft, orange glow flooded the room. Ignoring the pain of my bruised back I scrambled back in my bed, so I was leaning against the wall behind and looked at the older woman sitting in front of me. She was oddly familiar, I thought, frowning, but I couldn't quite grasp why— I didn't notice anything unusual about her, one of those blank, indifferent faces you pass every day on your way to work and forget about them as soon as you see them. She made me feel uneasy, though. There was some hidden power behind her plain stature.

I shot her an expecting look. She stared back and, unexpectedly, smiled. I felt nervous despite the friendly gesture. Something…predatory in her smile...Something that whispered real bad news.

"Hello, Sergeant Walker," she nodded in greeting. I furrowed my brow.

"Hello," I replied. "Who exactly— "

"I have important information for you," she continued as if she didn't interrupt me in the middle of speaking. She leaned in, her forearm on her knee, her brows raised. I didn't like her, I decided finally, folding my hands together on my lap.

"Would you like to find out about the whereabouts of Lieutenant Colin Hunt?"

I stiffened. What the—

"Please close your mouth," the gray-haired woman said carelessly, "you look rather silly."

I blinked a couple of times. My breath caught when Colin's face flashed before my eyes, and I shook my head, feeling the familiar clutch in my chest.

"What… Why… How?" I whispered incoherently, not taking my eyes off of her. "How do you know about him?"

She smirked, and I felt a wave of heat. God, I wanted to punch the smirk off of her face—

"I have my ways, Sergeant. Now, could you answer that? I'm rather short on time. From your reaction, I can tell the answer's positive, but I'm afraid I need to hear you articulate the words."

"Of course I want to know," I hissed through clenched teeth, "I'd do anything to find him, you hear me? Anything!"

"That's interesting," she pondered out loud, tapping a finger on her chin. "Define anything, Sergeant Walker."

I choked on betraying tears that tried to force their way down my cheeks. I wiped my eyes angrily and looked up to find the woman observing my reaction. Her constant attention made me jittery.

"Anything," I forced myself to speak calmly, "means exactly what it means. Would you like me to call for a dictionary for you?"

The only response to my sarcasm was a slight rise of her brow. She stood up and flicked off an invisible dust speck from her trousers.

"I see you're not that all interested, Sergeant," she said, stepping closer to my bed. I tensed, clenching the sheet with my fist.

"You didn't even offer anything yet', I replied weakly. "The only thing you told me was his name. He was— is a soldier, so the basic info about him is public. How do I know you're not just messing with me?"

She dipped her hand into her jacket's pocket and fished out a piece of paper. Leaning, she put it carefully on my nightstand next to the chocolate left by Michelle.

"Contact me when you're ready to find out what happened to your fiance," she whispered and gave me another of her creepy smiles. "Get well soon, Sergeant. You'll need to be strong."

I frowned.

"Why do you care?" I demanded, staring at her with a challenge in my eyes— at least I hoped it was a challenge. She chuckled and folded her arms behind herself.

"You are perfect, Charlene," she stated. A smile tugged at a corner of her lips. I wanted to wipe that annoying little smirk off her face.

"Goodnight," was the last thing she said before leaving the room as quietly as she entered. When she stepped through the door I realized I noticed what was off about her— one of her arms was replaced with an elegant artificial limb. It wasn't even covered in synthetic skin— I probably wouldn't have realized it was then— and I had to put not seeing it earlier on my exhaustion and the late hour.

I glanced at the card laying on my nightstand and let out a long breath.

What the hell was all that about?

"That was so weird", I muttered to myself.

I didn't sleep much through what was left of the night.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hello! Here we go again. Been lost in action for lost couple of weeks, but now back on track. There's been some cosmetic changes to the last three chapters, so you might like to have a quick look at them before reading this one. Thanks to my Beta, Jaegar Gypsy Dancer for helping me with typos and general tips. Hope you enjoy!


	5. The fall

**A/N: Long time no see, people. Here you go - the latest chapter from The Eternal Storm. Last couple of months have been a bit hectic, but fortunately, we're back on track. Thanks to JaegarGypsyDancer for editing. Enjoy!**

 **Probably should delete "weekly update" from the story description. It's an insult to everybody, including myself.**

 **Chapter Four**

John

 _A week ago, somewhere in the Milky Way Galaxy_

I knew I've been hunted.

They weren't exactly subtle, jumping from out of nowhere, blasting at my ship with laser beams. I deftly avoided their fire, in the meantime preparing the vessel for another jump. I didn't want to engage in the fight. They were not my enemy, they merely followed the orders, just as I would do if I were in their shoes. I pressed my lips together, remembering the courtroom—

Something big hit the flank of my ship, and I shook my thoughts away. There would be time for that. Later.

The ship trembled and nosed over in a dive. I grabbed the steers firmly and pulled, trying to move it back to the position, when it took another hit. I cursed under my breath. The engine coughed, choked and for a second I stood there frozen, worried it would die, but fortunately for me, the armor held. I exhaled a breath I wasn't aware of holding and reached for control panel again.

"Ship damaged," a pleasant computer voice broke the silence.

What a surprise.

"Can we make a jump?"

"Highly advised against."

"Probability of failure? Percentage?"

"Eighty-seven point three."

"Should be enough," I muttered to myself and pressed a couple of buttons. The interface displayed a time counter. Twenty seconds. Shit, that's a lot of time in a space battle, I thought, glancing at the view from the rear camera. The hunter's ship was gaining on me. They spat out missiles like sunflower seeds, and I had almost no time to do more than avoid most of the rockets, couldn't even try to fight back. Another shake. One more and the cockpit would be pierced. All of the indicators blinked red, subsequent parts of the ship reported damage, sirens howled. What a mess.

"Sierra-11, do you copy?", a disarranged voice came from the speakers. "This is captain Nadia Reyne speaking. You are outnumbered. Surrender or you will be shot down."

I didn't bother with an answer, focusing on avoiding their attacks. Why can't the bloody thing count faster— Sparks exploded in one corner of the cockpit, illuminating the control panel with bright light.

"...two…one… procedure complete. Entering the slipstream."

"...Sierra-117, the poster says dead or alive. I get money for your body, so why don't you—"

I didn't learn what captain Nadia Reyne wanted to tell me. The ship jumped abruptly, leaving the hunter's vessel behind.

xxxxxxxx

"The planet's name?"

"Zorya."

"Location."

"Dellingr 520 System. Approximately eighty-three point five light years from the Earth."

"Far enough. Any info?"

"One of the Earth's colonies. Average temperature: two hundred eighty-eight Kelvin degrees. Zoryan year lasts one hundred ninety-seven days, one day lasts thirty-three hours. Population: humans, seventeen million. The only habitable place is a Northern continent called Alaska. Once every seven years becomes a popular tourist attraction because of the spectacular display of Aurora."

"Play the message from Dr. Halsey."

"Executing."

"John, I implanted the coordinates into the ship's AI. They won't be traceable. I'd recommend jumping a couple times to avoid the hunters' ships. The town's called Frozen Falls, your house is with number sixty-two. The woman called Michelle Namazi has got the keys. Lay low, don't speak with the locals, I will contact you soon."

"Prepare for landing up to five miles from Frozen Falls town."

"Not enough data to perform the action. LZ: in the North, up to a hundred miles from the coordinates."

"Execute."

"Highly advised against. The probability of success: zero point seven percent."

 _Time to test my famous luck then_.

xxx

 _Wake up, Chief._

Beep. Beep.

I stirred in my sleep.

 _Wake up. I need you._

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beeeeee...

The sound turned into a constant screech, piercing my ears, causing a dull throbbing in the back of my head. I blinked a couple times and tried to move. Mistake. Big mistake. Everything hurt, not just my head, but absolutely every last bone and muscle in my body. I forced my eyes open and stared at the bright blue sky spread above me. Did I make it? Is it Zorya?

I laid on my back among the remains of my ship, scattered across the burned crater. I groaned, tried to move my fingers first, then my arm. Slowly, agonizingly so, I turned to my side and stayed like this for a second, because searing pain shot through my whole body.

I really should stop falling from space.

Supporting myself with hands, I managed to scramble to my knees. With every shaking breath memories of the fall came back to me. The last thirty kilometers to the ground the ship covered in much higher speed than it could handle. Perhaps if I haven't continuously jumped and if the hunters haven't tried to shoot me down, I'd land just fine. The cockpit caught fire, and I couldn't do much at the time except for watching it rapidly burn, as the snow-covered ground approached with dizzying speed. I remember bracing myself for impact— and releasing a parachute, I think— but still, hurt like hell. Wasn't my first fall from space, but it was far from the best one.

I stood on shaky legs, slightly swaying. My knees buckled under the weight of my body and armor. Something's broken. It felt as if I had the whole _Infinity_ on my shoulders, and it never felt that way before. I knew I didn't suddenly become weak, something had to be wrong with the neural connection between the armor and my brain.

"Shit," I exhaled, leaning forward. I felt droplets of sweat traversing down my scalp, my heart furiously raced as if it wanted to leap out of my chest, the blood in my veins turned to ice and— couldn't breathe—

I blindly groped for the off switch and, relieved, ripped the helmet off my head.

The crisp, snowy air felt refreshing and amazing on my face. I breathed in and out a couple times, forcing myself to relax. In… and out. Quickly my usual calmness returned, just like when I was in battle when I couldn't afford to lose precious time for these stupid… panic attacks, as Halsey once deprecatingly diagnosed. I remember mentioning that to her, very early in my Spartan career, and she said not to worry, cause she'd fix me up later. That later never came, I learned to handle that shit on my own as it appeared and seemed to manage just fine. A couple deep breathes usually were enough to set me back on my feet.

Soon I was ready to face anything again. I decided to wait until I was in a safer environment to deal with… things… happening to me when I was unexpectedly getting thrown into the action. It didn't last long, at least, and I had no time to wonder what it was. I had to get to Frozen Falls, get to the house and prepare the lab for Halsey's arrival.

 _We'll deal with it later, Chief. Get to work_. Cortana's reassuring voice calmed me further and—

Great. Was I imagining things already? Was it that bad?

I turned my head to the left when I picked up a distant rumble of thunder. A snowstorm was coming, an indication of it a dark grey mass of clouds heading from the east. I strained my eyes, but the town Halsey mentioned was nowhere in sight. The far horizon was marked by dark shapes of rocky mountains with tops hidden under white caps of snow. On the most distant side of the valley I spotted an evergreen forest, but apart from that, no sign of life, no houses, no smoke from chimneys, nothing. With an annoyed grunt, I plucked my helmet back on my head and opened the maps file, searching for any type of settlement nearby.

Fifteen miles. Nothing. Fifty miles. Eighty. A hundred. Two hundred. Two and a half— wait. There was something. I used my Hud to zoom in at the tiny cluster of buildings. I checked the coordinates, and, jackpot. Frozen Falls was built in the shadow of a mountain, one hundred and seventy-three miles northeast from where my ship collapsed. I marked it on my map and tried to move a couple of steps.

Tried was a good word. I made just about one step and piercing pain shot through my knee. I fell face first into the fresh snow and grunted inaudibly. How had I not noticed what was with my knee before? Must have been in shock from the fall, I concluded, scrambling from the ground again, this time taking it easy on the leg. I attempted to run a health check, but given that something was wrong with the neural connection, it didn't work. Of course. Had to do a manual test. I took a careful deep breath, anxiously anticipating the pain from the ribs. Fortunately, it only hurt a little, so probably they were just bruised. There was something else that had me worried, and it was a dull throbbing in my side which I failed to notice before.

I gingerly groped around my side. My fingers were covered in blood from the wound caused by a massive shard of metal piercing my armor and my body.

"Fuck," I breathed. I looked at my leg, and, gritting my teeth, realized how unlucky I was this time. Another piece was crammed into my thigh a little over the knee. If it hit the kneecap, it probably wouldn't do any damage, as that part of armor was reinforced. Instead, the shard hit one of the most vulnerable spots.

 _No point in putting that off, Chief, Cortana said. It will only hurt more._

"Shut up," I exhaled, grabbing the shard protruding from my side.

 _No need to be—_

A hoarse scream rolled through the valley, and it took me a second to realize it was me who shouted. Ripping that piece from my body without the help of armor's anesthetics was… hell. Real bad. And there was another one in my leg. Drops of sweat formed on my forehead and, absently, I reached to wipe them off, only to wince when I hit the visor of my helmet.

Deep breath. In… and out. I grabbed the other shard. This one was, thankfully, smaller and thinner, so it went out with much less blood than the first. I blinked a couple times, my vision blurred with sweat and tears.

Gotta move. Up you go, Spartan.

Patiently, I slowly rose to my feet. When the black dots stopped their graceful dance in front of my eyes, I grasped my side and started moving. A hundred and seventy-three miles was a long way to go and to stand in the middle of nowhere wouldn't make the far shorter.

Swaying, shambling, but at least moving forward, I started my walk through the valley.


	6. Familiar faces

**Chapter Five**

John

I managed to lose the armour along the way. I knew I would raise questions if I showed up in the town looking like that— half bled out, covered in burns and scratches, limping on one leg, wearing torn clothes— but it was still better than marching into the town in the Spartan armour. More suspicious, I decided, tearing the parts off of me. After all, there was a warrant letter after a Spartan-117, not after some guy that had… a car accident, perhaps. I overheard some marines talking about it before, and thought it was a good cover story. Not too complicated. Who would want to travel a couple miles in that deep snow to check if my story did actually add up? I sure as hell would, but fortunately, I wasn't a law departament in the town. I grabbed the last piece of armour and disengaged the lock.

The crisp air surrounded me and I shivered a little, throwing the pieces of armour into a lake. A better place to hide it than some deep snow, and maybe later I would have some time to recover it. I stood there for a moment, watching a thin layer of ice forming over the hole I dug in the lake and turned towards the sign. It read 'ozen Falls — the first two letters covered by a snowy branch— and I moved on. It was getting darker and colder, and I had to find this Michelle Namazi before I turned into an icicle. What were the coordinates…?

Luck was on my side again. The inhabitants were probably hidden in their houses, as nobody was on the street. Good. The less people saw me, the better. I read numbers on the houses, searching for a 1— there. I trudged in the snow covering the front yard and stood before the door. Taking a deep breath, I knocked.

"Coming, co— what the _hell_ happened to you?"

A young woman stood in the slightly ajar door, staring at me with her mouth gaping. I knew I looked bad, but decided to not mention it. If I chose to ignore my state, maybe she'd give me the keys as soon as possible and I'll be able to leave without causing her furter distress. Besides, more minutes outside meant more danger. I wanted to take a shower, tend to my wounds and think through my next steps.

"Car accident. You Mrs. Namazi?"

"Miss", she replied automatically. Her grasp on the door tightened, I noticed her knuckles whitening.

"Miss Namazi", I said, trying my best to not look intimidating and probably failing at that. "My name is John. We talked about the house."

She swallowed, the look of worry contorting her features. After a thought, she moved back a step.

"You, ah, need the keys, right?"

I nodded.

"Would you, uh, would you like to come in?"

I saw on her face it cost her a lot to ask me that question. I also saw she was genuinely worried about my battered state and afraid I'd hurt her if I entered the house. I shook my head slowly.

"No need. I'll wait here."

Her gaze dropped to my bare feet. She pressed her lips together, the internal fight between fear and worry obvious and visible on her face. I opened my mouth to tell her I just wanted the keys, but she spoke faster than me.

"Nonsense", she muttered, more to herself than to me and took a wide step back. "Please, do come in, John", she said, smiling widely. "You look like you could use a hot cup of tea right now."

"Ma'am", I responded stiffly. "The keys."

Miss Namazi looked as if I physically struck her in the face. I frowned at her, staring at her pale face. She shook her head.

"Of course. Give me a sec."

She disappeared inside the house and, after a couple of long minutes, returned with a triumphant look on her face.

She extended her hands towards me.

"The big one opens the main door, the smaller are for cellar and garage."

She held the bunch of clinking keys in one hand and in the other a brown paper bag. I stared at both, took the keys and turned to leave.

"Hey, wait a moment!" She grabbed my arm and I recoiled, tensing immediately. She let go of me at once and held her hand up.

"Sorry", she said defensively. "It's for you, too". She shook the bag, her gaze uneven, but her lips turned up into an easy smile. "Please, take it."

I looked at the bag, trying to figure out what was inside. Supplies? A tracking device? A bomb?

"It's… I baked chocolate chip cookies earlier tonight." Mrs. Namazi looked up at me with a wide smile on her face. "You sure look like you need some, big man."

I hesitantly grabbed the bag she offered and nodded.

"Thank you, ma'am."

"Oh, quit that ma'am-ing me. My name is Michelle."

I nodded again and after a moment, turned to the street.

"Go left", she called after me. "Your house is at the end of the street."

I once more was trudging through the cold snow, grasping the bag of pleasantly warm— so different from the frozen world around me— cookies in my hand and the keys in the other.

The house was indeed at the end of the street. Looked as if no one has been in there for a very long time. Even if someone went into the building, the snow would have long ago buried their footsteps.

My fingers were freezing cold— not the hand that held the cookie bag— and I wasted a long moment trying to fit the keys into a hole when the door abruptly opened. The keys clanked, hitting the stony threshold. The dim, white light from the inside illuminated the front yard and a feminine figure appeared in front of me.

 _She was here? Already?_ For a second I was annoyed, then the feeling passed, leaving only the exhaustion behind.

The older woman's lips were pressed into a thin line. She seemed to relax for a brief moment when she saw me, but she quickly regained her composure. She kept herself straight and stiff as she looked me in the eye. I overcame the urge to shift in place. That stern, cold blue eyes made me feel uncomfortable. They were familiar, all right, but something in them— exactly this. Uncomfortable.

"I expected you days ago", she finally announced, her voice tight and crisp, as usual. It's been what, four months? Five? since I last saw her, but I doubted she changed much, even considering all that happened.

"Ship crashed."

"Excuses." She waved her hand dismissively and I didn't care enough to correct her. After examining me one more time with that usual scrutiny of hers, she nodded. I frowned, not knowing what to make of that, but she already disappeared inside the house leaving behind the open door. I assumed this was as much of an invite as I would get. Briefly glancing back at the snow covered town, I followed her.

My steps reasounded in the empty living room, literally completely empty. Dim light of a single light bulb brightened the room. The house was deprived of any furniture. There were only naked walls and dust covered wooden flooring and I raised a small cloud every time I moved.

"Come to the basement", her voice reached me from the stairs. "Lock the door."

I did as she asked. For a moment I let my hand rest against the wooden surface, inhaling the stale air of the long-empty house. I wiped my hand through my face, wincing when I brushed a freshly healed cut on my cheek. I glanced down at my fingers. The blood shone in the dim light of the lamp.

I felt her eyes on me before she spoke. How long has she stood there?

She cleared her throat.

"There's equipment downstairs," she finally said. "I'll take care of your wounds."

I only nodded. She reciprocated the gesture and turned to walk to the basement.

"Dr. Halsey." My voice sounded strange without the helmet's filter. She stopped but made no move to at least glance back at me. I wasn't sure, but I thought I heard an annoyed sigh.

"Am I dead?" I asked. I knew she understood what I meant — if the people after me believed I were dead that would prove convenient. Can't count on that, though. After all, Spartans never die. They are just missing in action. Unless the bounty hunters were idiots (which was possible, considering they went after a Spartan) they would think me dead only after seeing my unmoving body, preferably made so by their own hands. Or guns, rather. I didn't think they would risk coming within my reach.

Silence felt heavy for a moment, and then she shook her head slightly.

"No, John. They know you're alive." She exhaled and turned to face me. "What's worse, Cortana does, too, and she's been actively trying to find you after your escape."

I swallowed. That's… good, I thought. At least I know she's okay—"

"That's _bad_ ", Halsey insisted, pressing her lips into a thin line. "Very bad, I'd say. She is unstable. We have to find her and stop her."

I straightened a bit, knowing I'd look more intimidating, and looked down at her with my eyes narrowed. I often used that trick when some of the younger soldiers were trying to be too friendly, too… nosey. I was aware that when I performed that little "dangerous-do-not-approach" show, most of the people shrank away and wouldn't bother to try and keep talking to me. It was easier this way. No attachments, no problems, no worries. Never had an opportunity to test that on Halsey, though. Seemed it wasn't working too well.

"I will not hurt her", I stated. Halsey's face briefly contorted into something… annoyed, at least. But then she took on her usual tight smile. She reached with her hand and awkwardly patted my forearm. I stopped myself from flinching. I wasn't used to other people touching me, not through the armour and certainly not on my bare skin.

"Of course, John", she flashed me a smile so fake even I noticed that. "I can't ask for that from you, can I?" Her eyes gleamed dangerously in the darkness. "We'll just contain her. Make sure she's not a threat to herself. And to you, too. You've seen what she's capable of."

I nodded, frowning. Of course, I saw that. I was there. The… my gun, and the others, too, they just… vanished into thin air. The Warden, huge, almost unstoppable son of a bitch we had so much trouble taking down with a team, gone, too. Just like that. The power she somehow possesed, I didn't know or understand how it worked. I agreed with Halsey on that— Cortana had to be stopped. Fixed. We'd go on missions again like we did before the shit went down the hole. Yes.

 _Tough luck, big guy_.

I blinked a couple of times. Halsey stood in front of me, her arms folded on her chest, this annoyed look again on her face.

"You weren't listening", she scolded me as if I was her child. I shook my head.

"No."

She rubbed her eyes and I glanced at her metallic prosthetic arm, reflecting the eerie light of the dying light bulb. I rose my brows, but she waved her hand dismissively.

"Later. Let's go to the lab."

This time I followed her steps without hesitation.

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Thanks for taking the time to read! Also, big big BIG thanks to JaegerGipsyDanger for editing. Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Have a great day!


	7. Never trust a stranger

Chapter Six

Charlie

I stood in front of the old house door. Frowning, I checked the message on my phone to see if I was at a correct address. Hm. Seemed I got it right. I thought Michelle sold the house to that soldier guy, and he collected the keys a couple of days ago. She called me all excited, describing the guy in detail, not missing one bit of his 'battered, yet chiseled face' and the fact that he somehow managed to crash his car on a usually empty S-72 road, the only one connecting Frozen Falls to other few cities in the continent. How did he do it? The road was always clear, not a bit of ice or snow on it.

I shook my head. The doctor's accomplices were not my problem. I had a goal— and she had valuable information that would help me achieve that goal. I couldn't allow myself the benefit of the doubt. Last time I ever heard of Colin's whereabouts was just before I decided to leave the army. I was briefly informed that he was sent on a classified mission and that they will contact me when he returns. Shortly after that, I received a laconic email notifying me of Colin's current status— MIA— and that was the last thing I knew about him.

The doctor claimed she knew something and that she was ready to help me find him. The whole situation was fishy. I supposed she wanted something in return, people like her rarely are selfless and compassionate— but how could I ignore the fact that she was a first person connected to the military to offer me at least some hope to find Colin?

 _He's probably dead, Charlie. You know that. Don't get into this. It's suspicious at best_.

I closed my eyes for a second. Michelle's advice resounded in my head, with emphasis on Colin being dead. She was probably right. It was too long with no contact from him or from the army. They were probably just waiting for the procedure limit of time to go by so they can mark him as KIA. The chances he somehow survived whatever happened to him were small, but I had to take them. I just had to. Even if it was just to find his body, I had to know.

I knocked on the door.

 _What if Michelle's right? What if the doctor is really doing something illegal here? What is she going to ask of me? What if—_

The door opened and a familiar figure of the doctor appeared. She offered me a strained smile.

"Good morning, Sergeant Walker."

I nodded in greeting. She stepped back, extending her prosthetic arm to invite me inside. I took a deeper breath to compose myself and entered the house.

"I don't believe I introduced myself yet. I'm Catherine Halsey."

I shook the offered hand and curiously looked around the room I found myself in. It nearly lacked basics— there was only a table with two chairs next to it, some papers spread in a hasty disorder on the metal surface. The doctor eyed me cautiously, I could almost feel her inspecting gaze on my back. I shifted under her observant cold eyes. I didn't like it when people gave me their undivided attention. I much preferred staying to the side.

"Stop staring, doctor", I snapped finally, turning to face her. She looked surprised for a second but quickly masked it with a careful smile.

"Sorry", she said, somehow apologetically, "old habits."

I nodded and folded my arms on my chest, a typically closed position. I'm sure she made note of that, too. I raised my chin higher.

"What is the deal?"

"Sergeant Walker—"

"I'm not a sergeant anymore", I interrupted her. She rose her brows. I noticed a bit of annoyance, this time not so carefully covered with indifference. She shrugged, seemingly not caring about my preference or not of being called sergeant.

"Very well. I shall call you Charlene."

"I prefer Charlie."

"Charlene suits you better", she decided dismissively, getting closer to the table. She fished out one of the loose papers and presented it to me. I extended my hand to take it, but she held it back where I couldn't reach it. I frowned.

"It's highly confidential information", she pressed. "I hope you know that whatever we speak of in this room must not leave it."

I shrugged, nodded sharply and waited for her to put the paper in my hand. I glanced at the headline.

 _The employment contract between UNSC and Charlene Walker_

"What? Employment?"

"Paperwork", she dismissed my worries. "Had to call it something in the documents."

"So you are a part of UNSC?"

She only smirked at my question.

"Read the contract, Charlene."

I went through the complicated document filled with difficult lawyer phrases. I understood what it meant— I was supposed to carry an AI unit designed to contain the rampant AI Cortana. I was supposed to save the worlds.

Shocked, I raised my eyes to Catherine.

"Why do you want me to do it?"

"You are perfect for the job, Charlene. Nobody will suspect what you're doing. Cortana will not feel threatened by you. Your only job is to deliver the AI close to Cortana and connect their systems."

I shook my head, staring at the paper. My heart beat so fast and hard I could almost hear it.

"I don't know who Cortana is."

"You don't have to. Your only job is to deliver the AI", she repeated in a strong voice. I looked at her.

"I need to know more. Where is she, for instance?"

The doctor folded her arms on her chest and leaned back on the table. Strangely relaxed pose, I noticed, and it didn't fit the stern woman. At least not from what I already observed of her.

"She's currently hiding from my sensors. I wasn't able to locate her, but do not worry. You will travel with a guide. He'll find her." Cold eyes watched me with lack of interest. "Anything else you'd like to know, Charlene?"

I moved my hand through my hair. Something was wrong. I felt it in the back of my head, like tingling, but inside. To stop my hands from idly fiddling, I wrapped my arms around myself.

"Well, yes? How am I supposed to carry the AI? Besides, if you're sending your man with me, why can't he do it? Take the chip, I mean? Or you? Why can't you go with him?"

Catherine again gave me that annoying little smile. I suddenly wanted to punch it off her face.

"She knows me. I made her."

She leaned closer. She was shorter than me, but I felt even more uneasy than before. Her icy eyes bore into mine when she spoke quietly.

"Besides, you have an interest, too, isn't it right, Charlene?"

I rose my chin higher.

"It was your bait to get me here, Catherine. I think you know that I have an interest."

She moved back and folded her arms behind her. She smiled again, but this time didn't try to hide the predatory gleam in her eye.

"Ah, yes. I know. Lieutenant Colin Hunt and his mysterious disappearance. When did that happen, hm? Three years ago? Four?"

"Two", I managed through clenched teeth. Catherine nodded a couple times as if she was wondering about something and tapped her metallic finger on her chin.

"Yes, that's correct. Two years. Two long years. And the military? Didn't they inform you at least about where they sent him?"

"No", I practically growled. "You know that they didn't."

"I do. And on your behalf, I allowed myself to dig a little deeper into that particular case."

She turned to the table and moved her fingers over files laying there. I curled my fingers into fists. A drop of sweat traveled down my spine. _Could_ _it_ _be_ — _Can he be so close? Oh my god, I have to—_

"Ah, here."

She made a theatrical of presenting the thin file to me. In a hasty handwriting, the name of my fiancee was scribbled in the middle. I reached for it and this time Catherine didn't try to take it from my reach. I really would have hurt her, badly, if she tried.

I pried the folder open, nearly tearing it apart. My fingers were shaking when I moved them over the documents inside. It wasn't much. Fuck. It was just a little more than what I already knew. Bitch. I felt a pang in my heart as Colin looked at me from the attached photo. I pressed my fingers to his face and tried to swallow a sudden burning lump in my throat.

"I'm coming for you", I whispered soundlessly. Catherine remained respectfully quiet.

The documents involved only an employment contract and a short information about his missing and therefore, the termination of the aforementioned deal. I went through the contract— more carefully than I did through mine— and found what I was looking for.

"He was stationed near a Halo Array", I read out loud. "Installation zero-nine." I turned my face to Catherine. "What the hell does that mean? Where is this Installation? How do I reach him?"

"Slow down, Charlene", her voice was ice cold. "I said I have information for you and that is true. This", she pointed to the opened file, "is a peace offering. Don't expect me to give you more in exchange for nothing."

I shut the folder closed and straightened up.

"I'll do it."

She nodded curtly and took a small tablet from her pocket.

"There's your contract. Sign it and then you'll officially be employed by the UNSC. We'll get to work at once."

I grabbed the tablet from her and pressed my finger under the contract, leaving my fingerprint confirming my acceptance of the rules involved in the document. Catherine took the tablet back, pressed something and the device blinked a light. She glanced up at me.

"Thank you."

"Now what?"

She turned her back to me, laying the tablet down on the table. Her arms slouched a little.

"I wish there was another way", she said, her voice hesitant. I frowned and opened my mouth. The tingling in the back of my head became even stronger and I took a step back.

A wall of muscles was there, blocking my way. I whipped around, but strong, giant hands grabbed my arms and kept me in place. I struggled, strained my every muscle to get out of his grip, but it was like fighting a storm. A mountain.

"What the— what is the meaning of this?! Halsey, what— LET ME GO!"

"I'm sorry", she said curtly, stalking towards me. I noticed a syringe in her hand.

"No—", I growled, thrashing against the man's hold. I kicked at him, pretty sure I hit something because he made a low grunt in his chest, but all my effort was for nothing. When Halsey got closer, I swung my leg at her, hoping to at least bruise the bitch's stomach, but she swiftly dodged my kick.

"Hold her to the wall", she ordered the giant man and the next second I flew against the wall, pressed immobile from head to toe by the strong, hard body. I screamed, tried to hit at him with my head, I would fucking bite him if he only let me move a little—

A pinch in my neck and all of the sudden the world went black.

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Hello! Another chapter for you. Hope you enjoyed it! Thanks to JaegerGipsyDanger for proofreading!


	8. Author's Note No 1

As some of you may have noticed, I haven't uploaded a new chapter in a while. It's due to many, many things, both positive and negative, happening in my life right now. So. Many. Things. Anyway, I'm not abandoning the story (as of now), but have to put it on hiatus and I'm afraid it's not a defined one- I don't know when I will be able to start writing again. I hope it will be before 2018 ends, but I won't promise that. Okay. See you soon, witcheress out


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